Home is her rescue story

“The Same Old, Same Old,” Dani Williams stood at the bottom of the stairwell leading up to the front door of the log cabin building. There were rocking chairs lining the front, and big green ferns hung from hooks screwed into the awnings above a rail.

She was reading the sign above the stairwell. “The Same Old, Same Old, Simple Cooking and Living.” There weren’t but three vehicles in the paved parking lot - one was the business vehicle with its logo and name on it, and the other two were employees’ vehicles.

A golf cart with the business’ name and logo on both sides was parked in a reserved space by what looked like an old-fashioned smokehouse connected to the building.

Her black BMW with tinted windows seemed a little out of place among the country motif and the trees and flowers. But it was the one thing she had allowed herself to keep from her days living in the city – New York city that is.

Dani ran her left hand through her thick, dark hair as she looked around her parents’ country home store – where they sold Americana items, along with country and western motif, and a lunch “counter” as well.

It had been a good day – a tourist bus had been through, a church group and just some regular customers. Once they closed the doors, it had taken her parents, Dani and their employees a good hour to clean and do some restocking.

Dani had gone outside to sweep the porch area. She very carefully, with her hand on the wooden banister, walked up the wide-slatted steps. As she made her way to the porch, the faint blowing of a horn behind her. Dani stopped, and turned around.

A burgundy Ford Ranger was pulling through the gravel parking lot. A man stuck his head out the window, “Hey Good-Lookin’, Whatcha got cooking?” His hair was blonde and short, and he had a slight beard, and was wearing Carolina Panthers’ baseball cap. His smile was wide, and infectious.

Dani laughed, and waved. “It depends on whatcha want.” Dani threw a little more drawl on her accent for effect. Though she had grown up in North Carolina, she had spent many years in the hub of New York City, and had picked up brogue of a New Yorker.

Vincent Taylor – Vinny to his friends and family – parked his truck and got up, throwing his sunglasses on the seat, and brushed the wrinkles out of his jeans, and pullover madras print button-up. He grinned, “You really don’t want me to answer that do you?” He walked toward the steps where Dani was leaning on her broom. She had on a pair of blue jeans overalls, some red-hi top tennis shoes and a black t-shirt with the store’s name monogrammed in red on the left side pocket. Her hair was pulled back in a paisley scrunchy.

Dani raised her eyebrows. “What are you doing here?” She asked as he stopped at the step right below her, and put his arm around her left waist, and reached up, and kissed her lips.

“Well, can’t a guy come and take his girlfriend home from work?” Vinny asked, moving up a step as she walked backwards.

“Well, yeah, but when his girlfriend has her car here, that presents a problem, right?” She asked, straightening his collar out for him.

“OK, so, I thought I would follow you home, and then we might could go grab a bite to eat and go see Bad Boys for Life?” He asked, taking his hat off, and rubbing down the front of his bangs.

The two of them were walking in the front entrance doorway. “Well, I guess so. Let me get my purse, and lock up.” She said walking toward the backroom.

“Vinny! Have you come to kidnap my daughter?” Julian Williams, dressed in khaki pants and a black pullover shirt just like Dina's, asked as he walked through the doors that joined the lunch counter to the gift shop, carrying a box in his hand.

Dani said, “Yes, and he is never bringing me back.” She grinned at her father as she went through the doors of the stockroom.

“Finally. I thought I was going to have pay you to do that,” Julian winked at Vinny as he stuck is hand out to shake Vinny’s extended hand. Vinny laughed. “I HEARD YOU, POPS.” Dani called.

“What are you two trouble makers fixing to do?” Julian walked over to the cash register, and popped it open.

Vinny leaned against the counter, “A movie and dinner. Where is the Mrs?”

“She is doing a meeting with the staff in there,” Julian nodded with his head toward the dining area. “State regulations stuff. How is your mom and dad?”

“They are fine. They have gone to Nashville for the week to see my sister.” Vinny said.

“So you are manning the farm this week?” Julian put money in the box, and looked at Vinny with his eyebrows raised.

Vinny nodded his head, and laughed. “Yup, yup. But we are good … My cousins and the crew are keeping me in line.” Vinny stood up straight as Dani walked through the storage room doors with her purse, and slinging her keys.

“Did you lock the back?” Julian asked his daughter as he shut the registered, and locked the box up.

“Yes sir. Want me to lock the front?” She asked, stopping beside Vinny. Vinny pushed a piece of hair out of her face.

“Please. Ya’ll, goofballs have fun.” Julian said walking through the doors of the dining area.

“Your dad is just the coolest – I just noticed he was wearing clogs.” Vinny said as he followed Dani to the front door of the store. “Want me to hit the lights?” He stopped at the switches by the door.

She nodded, “Yeah, 1, 3, 5 and 7.” Dani said, holding the door open with her keys in the lock. Vinny switched the lights off, and slid through the door, and leaned down and kissed Dani on her forehead. “Have I told you I love you?”

Dani smiled, “I love you more.” She shut the door, turned the lock and padlock, and punched a code on her keyfob.

“So, I will follow you,” Vinny said walking down the steps toward his truck. He stood there with the door open.

Dani jogged down the steps, and went to her car, and opened the door. “Yup. I want to change if I can?”

“Why? I think you look sexy in those overalls.” He said getting in his truck, shutting the door. She shook her head, and shut her car door.

As Dani turned on her car, Zack Williams’ ‘Rescue Story’ song was streaming through the radio. A slow smile appeared on her face as she thought about the lyrics and message of the song. The first time she had heard, she had been in New York – where Dani had been one of the columnists for a top notch lifestyle magazine.

Dani had been sitting out on the rooftop garden of her townhouse when one of her neighbors’ children came up, with two of his friends, and they were streaming K-Love, a Christian broadcasting station.

The boy – her neighbor’s son – said, “Zack Williams is a cool dude. You should see him with a beard and all. He even did a concert in a prison once to tell people there about Jesus, and how much Jesus loves them.”

Dani had stopped reading her book, and started listening to the lyrics. ‘

Zack Williams’s deep voice poured out a prayer. “There I was empty-handed, crying out from the pit of my despair and there you were in the shadows … holding out your hand you met me there, and now where would I be without you.? Where would I be, Jesus?”

Out of nowhere, the heaviness that had been weighing down Dani’s mind and heart seemed to get heavier. “And now where would I be without You? Where would I be, Jesus? You were the voice in the desert, calling me out in the dead of night … fighting my battles for me. You are my rescue story, lifted me up from the ashes, carried my soul from death to life … Bringing me from glory to glory … You are my rescue story.”

Tears had rolled down her face, and she got up from the bench in the garden, and headed inside. Within an hour, she had called her dad to see if she could home, and called her boss, to take a leave of absence. She needed to go home.

And that was almost six months ago. Coming home to Black Mountain was exactly what Dani needed. She turned her car out of the parking lot, and went up the drive beside it toward a security gate. Vinny was behind her in his truck. She punched in a code, and the gate opened. They drove on a graveled drive that winded up a hill.

Her mind wandered. When she first arrived home, she and her dad had a long talk. “Daddy, I feel like my heart is broken. Like there is something missing, and I am not sure why. Life has just been crazy … I don’t know, I feel like the solution is there in front of me.”

Julian looked at his daughter, and said, “When was the last time you read your Bible or went to church, baby?”

Dani had put her head down. “It has been a while.”

Julian said, “I think you know what the solution is, and that is why you came home. Get your mind focused, do some reflection, start reading the Bible and praying. But more importantly, just listen to whatever God tells you.”

So, that is what Dani had been doing. She and Vinny had been high school sweethearts, and met back up at a church function. Dani had started doing what her dad wanted her to do, and soon things started looking up for her.

Dani parked her car in front of the little guest cabin that her parents had fixed up for her. Their house was a little further up the hill. Vinny pulled up behind her. She grabbed her purse from the passenger seat, and turned her car off.

In her head, Dani said, “My rescue story – God, thank you for rescuing me, and for giving me the chance to be here on the mountain, and for Vinny.” Vinny opened her door, “My lady.” He said, holding his hand out to help her out.

She smiled, and took it, “Thank you, Bub.” Dani stood, and almost fell as her foot got caught on the edge of the door. Vinny grabbed her. “Careful there, baby. You OK?”

Dani nodded, “Yeah, yeah. Come on in, I am just going to change shirts.” She said as he shut her door, and followed her toward the front door of the house.

“You know ...” Vinny stood on the sidewalk that led to the front door, and turned, looking down the hill.

“What?” Dani turned from the front porch, where she was holding opening the screen door.

Vinny motioned her over, “Come here.” Dani had opened her door, and she put her purse and keys on the floor.

Dani walked back to where Vinny stood. He put one arm around her waist, and gestured to the view in front of them. The grass was green, the trees were green and there were a lot of wild flowers blooming, and of course, mountains.

“Look at your view … you’re home.” Vinny pointed.

Dani smiled, “Yes, I am home.” She sighed, and put her arms around him. He kissed her forehead.

“Sometimes, your rescue story that God gives you is the chance to come home, baby.” Vinny said.

Dani smiled, and realized Vinny was right.

It was good to be home.